Four arrested in Warlock shooting at Winter Springs VFW post

WINTER SPRINGS — Police today arrested four suspects in Sunday's fatal shooting of two members of the Warlocks motorcycle club and the wounding of a third man outside a VFW post in Winter Springs.

The reasons behind the violence remain unknown, but the Winter Springs Police Department has asked for federal help to determine if the shooting was more than an isolated act and linked to a rivalry within the outlaw motorcycle gang, police spokesman Lt. Doug Seely said Monday afternoon.

"We're trying hard to find out," he said.

The gunfire began about a mile from police headquarters at 10:40 a.m. Sunday when members of the Seminole County chapter of the Warlocks prepared to leave on a poker run to raise money for an undisclosed charity. Their motorcycles were parked outside Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4504 on Edgemon Drive when at least four men on motorcycles rode into the parking lot and opened fire, according to police.

The first patrol cars arrived within 2 minutes.

The dead were identified as Harold Liddle and Peter Schlette, members of the Warlocks' Seminole chapter. A third member, David "Dresser Dave" Jakiela, suffered at least one life-threatening gunshot wound, according to police and interviews.

Officers quickly detained 12 people, including four men identified as members of the "Philly" Warlocks and later charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. Police said the men representing a Warlocks chapter in Pennsylvania arrived in Central Florida several months ago and planned to start their own chapter in Seminole County.

Photographs of handcuffed men questioned by police at the shooting scene include at least one Philadelpia Warlock wearing a vest with a "Warlock" symbol of a harpie rejected by Florida Warlocks who wear a symbol of a Phoenix rising from the ashes as their national symbol. Wearing unauthorized insignia and state chapter "rockers" are considered insults, according to interviews.

Bikers held without bail on murder charges included Paul Smith, 47, of Florence, S.C., who was supposed to be sentenced Monday morning in Lake County Circuit Court for illegal possession of a concealed firearm last April. Smith has a "One-Percenter" tattoo on his neck that symbolizes he belongs to the 1 percent of "true outlaw" motorcyclists, records show.

The other defendants are Victor Amaro, 41, Robert W. Eckert, 38, and David Maloney, 52. All four are held without bail on two counts each of homicide and one count of attempted homicide, according to Seminole County jail records.

Describing the shooting as the worst violent crime in his 21 years as Winter Springs police officer, Seely said the 65-member police department called in the FBI and DEA to help question suspects and witnesses.

A search of the dozen detainees and the parking lot recovered 13 firearms and 23 knives and other weapons.

While witnesses told police that at least 30 to 50 shots were fired in the VFW parking lot, investigators still were determining who fired. It was not disclosed Monday if any of the three victims had been armed.

"It's very fair to say that we spend a lot time out their picking up (cartridge) casings," Seely said of the shooting scene that was heavily littered with evidence.

Jakiela remains hospitalized at ORMC, police said,.

The Warlocks were founded in Florida in the late 1960s. According to the group's website, the first chapter was founded in the Lockhart area of Orange County by Navy veteran Tom "Grub" Freeland shortly after he left the service.

The club now has chapters across the United States, Great Britain and Germany, the website says.